tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467119.post2785127175660492696..comments2023-10-24T10:09:22.146+01:00Comments on The Yorkshire Ranter: No Future in the Cath Kidston FavelaAlexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17153530634675543954noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467119.post-79247641072881660682009-10-02T11:51:12.738+01:002009-10-02T11:51:12.738+01:00Nice post. A bit harsh about cycle-powered generat...Nice post. A bit harsh about cycle-powered generation (you can do some great stuff with it on a small scale and no-one's pretending it's going to be a major future power source), but I totally agree with your general point here.<br /><br />My attempt at making a similar point, in video form, can be seen here if you're interested:<br /><br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzPC0CI4Aao&feature=player_embedded<br /><br />And, indeed, some thoughts on nuclear power as a climate solution, also in a video stylee, can be seen here:<br /><br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTqob1yIFwI&feature=player_embedded<br /><br />Just, you know, in case anyone's interested.<br /><br />DxDannyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09576844505273423952noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467119.post-27564817578243789092009-09-04T15:17:24.281+01:002009-09-04T15:17:24.281+01:00Spot on WRT your last point about the PR-stuntines...Spot on WRT your last point about the PR-stuntiness of this. It's obvious to me that this is all about using the 10:10 pledge as their proof-of-relevance in order get traction with the political/policy boys.<br /><br /><br />I'm all for killing coal like Charlie@2. "By their enemies shall ye know them" and in a rational world having an industry that kills tens of thousands per year as your enemy should make your campaign a walk in the park. Of course we live in a world where Wilberforce had to work for decades to get the slave trade banned, which doesn't do much for my optimism.<br /><br />Regards<br />Lukesilburnlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17739307898180344411noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467119.post-74345184212204025262009-09-04T10:06:32.663+01:002009-09-04T10:06:32.663+01:00Has anyone done anything systematic on refitting e...Has anyone done anything systematic on refitting existing hydro for pump storage? I suspect that there might be some mileage in that. The other potential biggie is utilities renting the storage capacity in recharging electric vehicles to balance demand. <br /><br />So - we need to re-direct all the deep greenies who are not already doing this (hint: very few in the UK now - note focus on Kingsnorth, Drax and Ratcliffe, the last-mentioned powering this very computer) away from nuclear and towards coal. Slap a big uncertain security budget on top of any new coal that's not got 100% C capture, and the economics of new nukes, wind + hydro, and tidal look far better in prospect.<br /><br />Factlet #1 - Ratcliffe has a big new apparently clever fence around it now. It wasn't there last year.<br /><br />Factlet #2 - Someone's already costed covering Dogger Bank in turbines. With wind if you spend enough money, you eventually reach a point where it's windy somewhere.<br /><br />CWAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467119.post-51616395781415154812009-09-03T21:31:46.436+01:002009-09-03T21:31:46.436+01:00Here's your campaign, in a nutshell: kill coal...Here's your campaign, in a nutshell: <b>kill coal</b>.<br /><br />Coal provides about fifty percent of the energy consumed by the USA. It's somewhat higher here, IIRC (though I can't find figures via ten minutes on google). Worldwide, coal is still the backbone of baseload electricity generation.<br /><br />If we can <b>kill coal</b> it follows that we cut our carbon emissions by upwards of fifty percent. Which dwarfs <em>everything</em> else we can do.<br /><br />The question then becomes one of <em>how</em> we replace coal as a source of baseload power. There's more than one way to do it: nuclear, hydro, geothermal, tidal. (Solar and wind don't cut it -- they're unpredictable, unlike tidal power. Gas and oil ... they're not coal, but they're not much better.)<br /><br />The point is, if we're clear on the target it gives us something to work towards. Banning coal-fired power stations worldwide by 2050? That's a worthwhile goal.Charlie Strosshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03398809615976202716noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5467119.post-89101393026337297022009-09-03T17:41:23.395+01:002009-09-03T17:41:23.395+01:00Yeah, looks like we're in the same place here....Yeah, looks like we're in the same place here. Me, I think that it's a planning issue more than anything else. I've just got my solar hot water on-stream (ta for the two grand subsidy, HMG) and the next toys will be a 20W PV panel, some random 12v batteries, then a 500w hub motor and an old mountain bike frame to wedge it in. Stuff that I learn will get told to the local Transition group and to my kids. But this is hobby stuff which will entertain me and might help my family in 20 years time. Replacing Drax with a Severn Barrage it aint.<br /><br />Some of the answers to this problem - but not all of them - are in treehugger. The key bit is to say "this is new, sexy, and cheap" and never "this is green". And can I have a decent shopping bag with "Insert sanctimonious slogan here" on it?<br /><br />CWAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com